‘Feku Baba’ Revived

Heated discussions over staging Feku Baba on May 4

The ghost of Feku Baba came to haunt the Club today. The play on a fraudster of a godman had long been buried and forgotten (ref post of February 23) till Bijoy Gupta suddenly pointed out a flaw in the script this morning.
“Did you know fake babas use cuss words?” he apprised Yusuf Rassiwala who was supposed to play the title role. “They will not use abusive language per se. But they would curse you with say, turning you into

Banoo Apa kept her word
by bringing lassi today

a cat or a dog if you don't obey them.”
We could understand that Gupta was still ruing over his play getting junked due to what he described as the “cowardice” of some members. Kiran Prakash tried to console him saying that the play could still be staged – in fact, before Ramzaan early next month.
The idea instantly caught on. “We don’t have to stage it on a grand scale,” Kiran Prakash assured in a brief pep talk. “We can have it in the Garden any day after the exercises. After all, it is always good to have something going for the Club to keep our spirits upbeat.”
Yusuf Rassiwala suggested we stage the play outside the China Hut while Kiran Prakash preferred the raised platform at the opposite end of the Garden.

Razia Khan (l) regales with an Urdu couplet on a drunkard's logic  

Some like Zarina and Rukhsana Khan suggested we combine it with a picnic while Bhaswati Bose and Banoo Apa proposed staging it like a street play on Juhu Beach.
Even the date was decided for May 4, except that Gupta was all at sea. “But where is your audience?” he demanded, obviously wanting a proper stage with lights, sound system, props and the works. “Let it not be like the peacock has danced in the jungle and nobody saw it!”
Clearly Gupta was worried what his friends would say. So he tried another tack: “How will Yusuf-bhai come to the Garden dressed in black robes like a godman? Other artistes will also be in costume and make-up because there is no green room, no place to change… Are you people out of your minds?” When it was explained that nobody shall be in costume and we would be in our normal daily wear, Gupta broke down: “It is a good play, don’t ruin it. This is like getting an elephant married to an ant. Better to not have the play than doing a bad job of it.”
Eventually, after much persuasion, he came around. “Have it your way,” he muttered. “What do I care? People will only say we have gone mad!”

Bihari Milwani:
Can we have the play in some resort? It will be picnic-cum-show in an air conditioned atmosphere with no chance of the audience running away.